BTC celebrates milestone

The Boys Training Centre (BTC) recently celebrated its 57th anniversary with a church service at the Gros Islet Roman Catholic Church, followed by a small exhibition at the BTC.

The BTC falls under the auspices of the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Empowerment, Youth Development, Sports Culture and Local Government.

Permanent Secretary Donavan Williams emphasized the need for the ministry to create a better learning environment for the boys.

“A number of boys who have gone through this centre have turned out to be productive citizens, and so for me, part of the celebration is to reflect on how we can create an environment [that will help them] become productive. It is not just about the boys’ physical environment in terms of the types of programs we want to institute, and I think if we can do that, we will ensure that when these boys leave the BTC, they will be productive members of our society.”

The Minister for Equity, Social Justice, Empowerment, Youth Development, Sports, Culture and Local Government, Hon. Lenard Montoute, said there should be more integration between the BTC and the Gros Islet sporting community.

“As the parliamentary representative for Gros Islet, I will be doing my best to ensure that we involve them in some of the activities that take place, for example sporting activities and musical performances, so that they can feel that they are part of the wider community.”

The BTC was established in 1960 under the name Massade Industrial School. The name was changed to The Boys Training Centre in 1976. To date, it is still the only residential centre for troubled boys in Saint Lucia.

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